Sunni, Shiite fatwa condemns violence

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Sunni and Shiite clerics from Iraq signed a religious edict at a meeting in Lebanon calling for reconciliation and an end to violence.

The World Security Network Foundation, an international advocacy group using the Internet to raise awareness on various issues, gathered members from the Iraq Shiite, Sunni and Christian faiths in Beirut to address reconciliation efforts in the war-torn country.

The meeting resulted in the agreement on several principles represented by a joint fatwa, or religious edict.

The fatwa said violence in Iraq does not have a religious and moral grounding, noting that while civil disobedience is legitimized by international standards, targeting innocent Iraqis runs against the basic premise of human values.

The declaration also condemned interference from foreign powers, saying it was the "the main cause of the violence and the sectarian divide" in Iraq.

The joint edict called for continued negotiations aimed at restoring the foundations of society and advocated continued support for security matters in Iraq.

"We encourage the continuity of this dialog and the serious cooperation between the leaders of Iraq to create solutions to be the foundations for the building of a state where security and justice can prevail between the people," a joint declaration said.

The fatwa was endorsed by prestigious members of the Sunni and Shiite faiths, including the Sunni leader Ahmed al-Kubaisi and Shiite cleric Ayatollah Abu Reef.